Friendship & Warfare
by Black Tea Adventure
Summary: Young Feliciano and Ludwig grow up as youth partners in WWII-era Europe. Although he initially cannot stand him, Ludwig grows to appreciate the Italian, although much more so than what he believes is proper. AU.
1. First Meeting

**Hey, everyone! This is my first story, so I apologize for any FanFiction etiquette I've left out. **

* * *

As Ludwig opened the back door of his father's vehicle, he felt a slight wind embrace him in congratulations. He had anticipated this day for weeks, and now he roused with his father and brother from the long drive to the Deutscher Youth Summer Training Day Camp. Mr. Beilschmidt had told him and his elder brother what a privilege it was to attend this particular facility: Ludwig had been reminded practically every morning and evening up to this date that Sector 12 was taboo to the rest of the Camp's members, as it offered rigorous training and discipline of which only the children of the wealthiest families in Europe were worthy.

"Sector 12 deserves your utmost respect and determination," Mr. Beilschmidt reminded his younger son one last time as Ludwig pushed his wind-strewn bangs back into place. "This opportunity has been made solely for you."

"Don't worry,_ Vater_!" Gilbert piped up as he jumped from the front passenger seat. "My little _bruder_ and I share the same awesome blood; our awesome strength and discipline will make all those other boys look like trembling little kittens!"

"_Bruder_, I wish you would be a little more bashful," Ludwig remarked as he was unceremoniously pulled from his seat by his sibling.. "Especially as this is our first step in fulfilling our duties to our German brethren-!"

"_Ja ja_, I can't hear you over my awesome desire to get there first!" Gilbert dismissed his brother as he ran off into the Meeting Hall. Ludwig stared in disapproval as his father bid him his final goodbyes for the day.

"It seems that you are my only child who cares to practice any reverence," Mr. Beilschmidt praised his son as he restarted the vehicle. "If Gilbert gets ahead of himself, remind him that I will be here by the day's end. Good luck, _sohn_."

Ludwig nodded, allowing a trace of a smile to form. As his father backed out of the dirt trail and sped down the road, the preteen entered the Sector 12 Meeting Hall with a sense of pride.

Hoping to avoid his brother at all costs, Ludwig made his way over to the row of chairs reserved for youths of age ten and sat down next to what he saw out of the corner of his eye was a scrawny, sleepy-looking boy with light brown hair.

Scanning the room from his seat, Ludwig noticed that the other members were remarkably diverse in age: Some boys looked as young as seven and as old as fifteen. _I will do my best_, Ludwig reassured himself, _I will do my very best to live up to my status as a Deutscher Youth. None of these boys' families can compare to the pride and potential of the Beilschmidt name!_

"Why the fuck are you sitting next to a savage like_ him_?!" Ludwig started and turned to face a dark-haired teen, whose unexpectedly accented voice had rather rudely interrupted his determined reverie.

As he observed the older boy more carefully for a few heartbeats before he bellowed again, Ludwig noticed that he looked about the same age as Gilbert. He was scowling down at the brown-haired boy sitting across from him, and based on the similar distinctive curls in their hair Ludwig assumed they were brothers.

"Did I not make myself clear before we left, Feliciano?" The boy continued on in his Italian accent. "I specifically told you to sit next to me, and me, _only_!"

The boy supposedly named Feliciano, whose dozy facial expression had not gone away until now, began to protest fearfully. "But_ fratellone_, Mr. Edelstein told me to sit here with the other boys my age!"

The older boy grabbed Feliciano's arms and shook him violently. "How many times have I told you not to listen to that stingy, aristocratic pile of barbarian filth! I will not allow my younger brother to be brainwashed any further-"

Unsure what to do until now, Ludwig attempted to intervene. Fellow Youth scouts, especially those who were siblings, were not meant to fight amongst each other. "Look, I think he can decide for himself where he wants to-" Ludwig began as he put his hand on the older boy's shoulder.

"_Don't touch me, you fucking potato bastard_!" The teen screamed, slapping Ludwig's hand away. "I will not have my brother and I infected by the blights from your mushy vegetables!"

All eyes in the room were staring now; some were cheering and rabbling, and others were shaking their heads in protest. "_Don't you hit my little brothe_r!" Ludwig heard his older brother's voice from behind the two Italian boys amidst the chaos.

Ludwig saw Gilbert's arms wrap around the other teen's waist, and in a second the boys were rolling on the wooden floor in a tussle. At that point, Mr. Edelstein, whom Ludwig had previously met in his Youth interview, had come with a soldier to break up the fight.

As Gilbert was restrained by the soldier, Mr. Edelstein loudly scolded the other teen in similarly accented German. "Lovino, I have told you repeatedly up to this date to treat your fellow Deutscher Youth scouts with respect! By betraying them, you have betrayed me, in addition to turning on your own family member!

"And as for the rest of you, I have expected better of the first group of scouts to serve in Sector 12! The next person to shift in their seat without my permission will be assigned to clean out the latrines for the remainder of the summer!"

The meeting hall grew silent upon this threat as Lovino was dragged to the group of boys his age by Mr. Edelstein and forcibly hoisted into a chair next to Gilbert. Feliciano had been crying the whole time, and Ludwig scowled at his less than silent continuation even after the fight was over.

As Mr. Edelstein approached the podium facing the center cluster of chairs, Ludwig's eyes followed the upward curl in his authority figure's dark hair bob to and fro eventually settle directly in front of his group.

"Welcome to Sector 12 of the Deutscher Youth Summer Training Day Camp. My name is Roderich Edelstein, and I am the overseer of group activities. I sincerely hope that my leadership will receive more respect for the duration of the summer than what was allotted just moments ago."

The meeting hall's occupants grew uneasy upon this remark. While some children nodded silently and others muttered a "Yes, sir," most boys remained motionless.

"In this Sector, you will receive harsh training fit only for the young boys of the most powerful families in central Europe. Each and every day, we will venture into the nearby woods and mountains, where we will practice every physical technique, from climbing trees to dodging bullets to trapping and capturing your fellow scouts.

"Each age group will be trained by a minor overseer, and each child will be assigned a partner of the same age." With these words, the Sector's leader turned back to the Italian boy named Lovino. "Due to the events which took place before my speech, my adopted son, Lovino Vargasso Edelstein, will be assigned to Gilbert Beilshcmidt as his partner."

The two boys feared for their lives at this point, and merely glanced at each other through narrowed eyes and nodded instead of protesting.

Mr. Edelstein continued on. "Ludwig Beilschmidt, due to your attempts to hinder the older boys' misbehavior, your assigned partner will be my younger son, Feliciano Vargasso Edelstein."

As Ludwig glanced again at the sniveling runt beside him, he did not know if this new responsibility were a reward or a punishment.

* * *

After every child was assigned a partner, the groups were immediately led out into the forest for their first training session. Ludwig's group was led by Mr. Hinova, and he felt a pang of sympathy for his brother as he noticed Mr. Edelstein directing the group of thirteen-year-olds to file out next to their respective partners.

Amidst the inevitable noise of children walking, Ludwig could hear his instructor ordering his fellow scouts to file out holding hands. He immediately felt a set of fingers a little smaller than his own wrap around his palm, and turned to see that the dreamy, dozy look had returned to the boy named Feliciano's face.

"_Ciao,, amico_! Thank you for saving me from getting beaten up by the bigger boys earlier! I know my big brother seems to get angry easily, but he's really a nice guy!"

The dozy look on Feliciano's face seemed fixed to perfection, so much so that Ludwig wondered if he was asleep whenever he wasn't talking. "_Ja_, sure thing, just don't cry during our training session."

Feliciano saluted with his free hand. "_Sì_, Ludwig, sir! I'll try my best, even though I'll cry when I get hit!"

_I am most definitely getting punished for intervening_, Ludwig thought to himself as he marched out to the woods hand-in-hand with Feliciano, the dopey boy's side curl bobbing rhythmically.

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**For those of you who are wondering, Milen Hinova is a fan-given name for Bulgaria.**

**I purposely left out details on the Beilschmidt and Edelstein families. We'll find out more about them in later chapters!**

**Please review. Any comments or critiques are greatly appreciated!**


	2. Torture

**Hey, everyone! Thanks for the feedback on my first chapter. This story is definitely going to be updated frequently! (Or at least until college starts up again...)**

**Personally, I feel like my storytelling can be very slow-paced, and I apologize for that. Quite a bit happens in this chapter, though!**

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Feliciano was insufferable.

Ludwig's first day of Youth training had been the worst day of his life. The partners had taken their first trot on the camp's obstacle course, and he and Feliciano had gotten the lowest score.

Ludwig's partner could not climb, could not jump without falling, couldn't even _run_ to keep up with his own pace. It was the tire exercise in particular that had resulted in Ludwig having to carry his partner on his shoulders for the second half of the course.

Each and every day went on like this: Ludwig was being held back by Feliciano's cowardice, rarely did the two ever rank higher than last place in exercises, and the blonde had to face the laughter and ridicule of the other children after training was over.

What was even more unbearable was that Mr. Hinova, Mr. Edelstein, and even his own father had thought that Ludwig's partnership with the Italian was good for both of them. "My son has never had that sort of contact with any other child save for his brother," the curly-haired Austrian had remarked one day during a meeting about Ludwig's performance. "He will gain more confidence in due time, Mr. Beilschmidt, but your son must keep up his patience."

"It is your duty to help and nurture your fellow Youth scouts, _sohn_," Ludwig's father had agreed to his horror. "Deutscher Youth is more concerned about the abilities of the group as a whole than those of each child as an individual."

"But _Vater_, the boy is holding me back!" Ludwig had uncharacteristically retorted. "If you all want me to rub off on another scout, give me someone who actually has a future as a soldier!"

Ludwig had been assigned to clean the latrines for a week for that outburst, causing the other scouts to remark and taunt him even more so.

"Hey Luddy, are you trying to earn money to buy a ring for little Italian lover?"

"Did Feliciano finally vomit from jogging?"

"How much digested pasta was stuck to the walls today, Luddy?"

"Oh no! Did Feliciano drop his white flag in the toilet again?"

There was one instance about two weeks into the camp's duration where Feliciano had brought a miniature white flag to their training session.

"_What the hell is that!_ Why on earth have you pulled a white flag out of your pocket during rifle practice, you twit? Do you even know what that stands for?"

"Of course I do, Ludwig!" Feliciano smiled, that dozy look not breaking even while surrounded by violent kids holding guns. "I knew we were playing with guns today, so I wanted to bring this so no one would hit me!"

By this time, Ludwig had become so frustrated with his partner that Feliciano's innocent charms no longer guilt-tripped him into compliance. "The point of rifle practice," Ludwig said through gritted teeth, "Is to practice using guns and dodging bullets so you _won't_ get hit!"

Feliciano, as always, was confused by Ludwig's logic. "But Ludwig, accidents always happen no matter what you know!" He had cocked his head to the side at that point, face still dozy looking and body language overall unbecoming of a soldier. "Everyone has to play nice, and telling people that you surrender is the best way not to get hurt!"

Ludwig clenched his fists, failing to keep his cool today. Gilbert had eaten the last piece of strudel that Mr. Edelstein had sent to the Beilschmidts as a gift for their father's previous meeting, and the younger child was still irate from the previous night's remark that only "the awesomest Deutscher Youth scouts get to eat all the strudel, not some little kid on a fairy tale adventure with his boyfriend!"

As Feliciano stood there waving his little white flag, all Ludwig could hear in his head was the plethora of smart-assed remarks from the other scouts, the constant sound of disapproval, the reminder that he was no good because of that weak, scrawny, dopey-faced runt.

"_Pata-pata-pata~! Pata-pata-pat_-**Ah!**" Ludwig had grabbed his rifle and shot the flag out of Feliciano's hand. His aim had surprisingly hit the thin, stick-like pole, although narrowly missing the other boy's fingers.

Feliciano had cried more than usual that day over his broken flag as well as his partner's anger, and Ludwig was tackled by Lovino when news had spread throughout the whole camp. Luckily, Gilbert had previously received too many bruises and black eyes from his partnership with the older Italian boy to pull him off of his little brother a second time. Mr. Edelstein, although ordering Ludwig to clean the latrines for another week, sympathized with him along with Mr. Hinova. "Well, we'll give you praise for your aim."

The two boys were separated and trained individually after that, which unfortunately hadn't caused any of Ludwig's bullies to let up.

"Aww! I heard you guys broke up!"

"Must be hard to go through a trial separation, eh, Ludwig?"

Ludwig's patience had been so badly damaged by then that he no longer thought before punching or shooting at every kid that taunted him. Mr. Edelstein and the soldier who now trained Ludwig only had the pupil continue cleaning the latrines by himself, unable to push aside their sympathy.

* * *

By a month's end, Ludwig was miserable and mentally exhausted. He was cleaning the camp's latrines every day after practice, the other Youth scouts were still taunting him, and he still had to put up with Gilbert's remarks every evening.

One day, as Ludwig trudged up the stairs of his father's summer home, Gilbert came running out from the front door and blocked his sibling from entrance. "_Nein!_ Only good Deutscher Youth scouts have the awesome Gilbert's permission to enter his house!"

Ludwig forced himself to look up at his brother's smirk. "_Bruder_, I'm sure you're no better than me to receive so many bruises from your partner almost every day."

The pale teen's skin, thanks to Lovino's short temper, now somewhat resembled multiple blueberries swimming in milk. "At least Lovino is _able_ to break someone else's skin!" With this, Gilbert turned and strutted off to his bedroom. "How does one brother inherit all the strength of his family and the other end up as a failure's wife? I guess strength is the same as awesomeness! _Hahahahaha!_"

Ludwig knelt on the clean, white floorboards of their summer home's porch. _Gilbert is right_, he thought._ How have I allowed myself to receive such a punishment? What have I done to deserve this!_

"Ludwig, is that you?"

"Yes, _Vater_!" Ludwig said absentmindedly from outside the still opened front door.

"Close the door and come into my study, _sohn_. I want no mosquitoes interrupting my conversation with you!"

_Oh, mein Gott_, Ludwig thought. _He is going to pull me out of camp!_

Mr. Beilschmidt was facing the window above his desk when Ludwig stepped into his carpeted library. "Boots off,_ sohn_!" The accomplished banker ordered with his back turned.

As Ludwig approached his father in his sweaty socks, the man turned to face him with an utmost look of sympathy.

"First and foremost, I heard the entirety of your brother's remarks. I do not hold you accountable for any insects." The man had been on edge since they ventured out to southern Germany for Youth training. Growing up in the northeasternmost region had accustomed him to gray skies and less-than-muggy summers.

"Second of all," Mr. Beilschmidt was now looking his weary son in the eyes. "I am convinced from my observance of you that you are being unfairly punished for your actions. There is no reason for you to continue cleaning the latrines,_ sohn_.

"However," the man turned back to the window. "I also believe that you have treated your Deutscher Youth partner wrongly, and must apologize." Ludwig cringed at the mention of Feliciano.

"The most important part of becoming an adult, Ludwig, is learning to accept the strengths, weaknesses, and thought processes of others. I only know how frustrating it is for someone like you to deal with a person of Feliciano's rationale, but learning to accept him with open arms as a friend is your most crucial duty at this point."

The man turned back to his son, who now had to abstain from trashing his father's study. "I have arranged for our family to have dinner at Mr. Edelstein's house tomorrow night. I have exempted you from Youth training for the weekend, so I trust that you will use this evening to prepare yourself mentally and emotionally to apologize and bond with Feliciano."

The words of his father still rang in Ludwig's ears even as he lay upon his bed afterward. He now wished that he had been expelled from Youth training. _Oh mein Gott, when will my punishment end? What have I done to deserve such torture?_

As he questioned everything in his life, Ludwig could hear his brother cackling in the other bedroom that was several feet down the hallway. Gilbert had never been one to know what is and isn't private.

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**Poor Ludwig. :(**

**In case any of you are confused about this, Mr. Beilschmidt is Germania. I haven't mentioned this yet, but he and Mr. Edelstein are both wealthy bankers who help fund the war. This will be elaborated later on.**

**Also, I forgot to mention this in the previous chapter, but the Deutscher Youth would be similar to the Hitler Youth that took place in Nazi-era Germany, but much more watered down. I'll probably be changing a lot more of the common terminology and some historical events; I honestly don't want the story to be too dramatic or offensive at all.**

**The story should hopefully be more sped up in later chapters!**

**I appreciate feedback! Please keep reviewing, guys!**


	3. Family Dinner

**Hey, guys! Sorry this chapter took a bit longer than the others...Holidays and family time, but more than that I just hit a small writer's block. It happens. xD**

**I experimented a little with this chapter to try to make it seem less slow, but it all ties into the plot, I promise!**

**Well, I hope you guys all think Feli and Luddi's dinner goes well!**

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Ludwig spent the following Saturday in his father's study, reading up on techniques for patience.

Gilbert had apologized to him the previous evening for being less of a protective older brother since Youth camp began, vowing to "pull that stingy Lovino off by his curl" the next time he pounced on Ludwig. _At the very least, that would make me seem like less of an instigator_, Ludwig had accepted.

Mr. Beilschmidt requested that the boys wear their Deutscher Youth uniforms to the Edelsteins' dinner; as Ludwig adjusted the iron cross pendant his brother had given him for this particular occasion, he stifled a panic attack as he visualized an overbearingly curious Feliciano.

The young blonde spent the ride in his father's vehicle memorizing what he had read that morning. "Focus on your breathing. Keep your mind fixated on your favorite food or activity. Remember that the situation is going to end soon."

_Remember that the situation will end soon._ Ludwig repeated in his mind as he opened the car door and walked up the steps of the Edelsteins' home-they supposedly moved here from Vienna just before Youth camp. _Wurst sausages. Training. Playing with dogs. It will all end soon!_

Mr. Edelstein opened the front door just as soon as Mr. Beilschmidt rang the bell. A cheerful Feliciano bounded from the door and threw his arms around his former training partner.

"Ludwig! _Come va, amicissimo?_" The taller boy's face went red with irritation.

"_Ja_, I'm fine!" Ludwig replied as Lovino managed to pull his brother off without anyone tackling each other, albeit the blonde child hearing a faint "barbarian scum" uttered with a familiar heavy accent.

* * *

All four uniformed boys sat with with their guardians opposite of each other at the Edelsteins' dining room table. Mr. Edelstein sat at the head, and seated to his right was a beautiful young woman known as Ms. Hedervary to the Belischmidt boys.

While Gilbert managed to snag the seat next to Ms. Hedervary, Ludwig lamented at having to sit directly across from Feliciano. As the eternally dozy-looking child rattled on about pasta while Ludwig struggled to focus on his breathing, Lovino possessively held onto his brother's arm while glowering daggers at the Beilschmidt family.

Eventually came the time when dinner was ready, and the chefs Mr. Edelstein had hired emerged from the kitchen and left for the night.

"I would have cooked this meal myself, but I got caught up playing my piano as usual," Mr. Edelstein announced as he stood, making the elegant Ms. Hedervary giggle.

The aristocrat proceeded to tap his wine glass with his spoon, speaking with his peculiar accent as the echoes of the room died down.

"As we are all already aware, we are currently feasting together this evening in an attempt to reconcile a dispute between two fellow Deutscher Youth scouts. Although it has been a great misfortune for both myself and Mr. Beilschmidt to have been informed that our children are not getting along, we desire nothing more than to have them grow up not only as respective heirs to our fortunes and our legacy, but as ideal friends who will look out for each other for the rest of our lives.

"Ludwig Beilschmidt and Feliciano Vargasso Edelstein, I would like you to exchange apologies this instant, and I expect the both of you to be less than enemies by tomorrow's end. If I see that you two have progressed as friends, you will be reassigned as each other's partners and your Youth camp membership will not be terminated."

_Mr. Edelstein is never one to tell you everything_, Ludwig thought, the banker's last words mentally exhausting him.

Feliciano, dozy as ever, turned to Ludwig as Mr. Beilschmidt nudged his arm. "Go on, sohn."

"Feliciano," Ludwig forced himself to look directly at the scrawny boy's dozy face-did his eyes ever_ open?_-all the while continuing to practice his breathing techniques.

"I would like to apologize...particularly for breaking your white flag," the boy choked. "What may have been an abomination to me was certainly a treasure to you."

_I'm too good at lying. I take after Gilbert too much!_ "And furthermore, I would like to apologize for not being more patient with you." _Too, too much after my brother._ "Everyone has their own degree of physical strength, and it is my duty to help you accomplish tasks at your own pace."

_I should quit the Deutscher Youth right here. What good are these lies doing?!_

"Very good, _sohn_," Ludwig heard his father praise as he sat back down.

Mr. Edelstein motioned for his own son to reciprocate. "Your turn, Feliciano."

Instead of acting formal and courteous like his partner, the dozy child stood up on his chair and proceeded to speak very profanely, for some reason making multiple gestures with his hands.

"Ludwig, I'm so happy that you're sorry! But it's really no big deal; you're my _amicissimo_, and best friends always get mad at each other in the beginning!

"But as for me, I'm truly sorry you didn't like my white flag! Perhaps one day we'll be waving flags together in a field with everyone we know, but for now I'll stop using mine so you won't get mad at me anymore!" With that, the dozy boy saluted before sitting back down next to his still-angry brother.

Ludwig, despite his embarassment at his lies and his struggle for patience, somehow found himself able to nod and form a genuine half-smile.

* * *

Dinner was presented in the traditional Italian style by Ms. Hedervary, specially for the occasion of Feliciano "having his first _amico_ over to share good food with him."

"Despite Mr. Edelstein's attempts at modesty, I must point out that I made this dinner especially for this evening," Ms. Hedervary said with a pleasant smile. "I'm just glad Roderich was able to convince some of the local chefs to assist me!" Gilbert had commented on how such a stunningly handsome woman wouldn't otherwise strike him as so delicate to be in need of such assistance, only to be pinched by his father and threatened with latrine duty by Mr. Edelstein.

The primary meal consisted of pasta (it was shaped like surprisingly long spiraling tubes, quite unlike what Ludwig had rarely consumed before) with thinly cut wurst sausage medallions in a tomato cream sauce. Lovino refused to eat his pasta until Gilbert mockingly offered to pick the meat slices out one-by-one with his own fork; only then did the Italian force himself to choke down his meal as a retort.

For the secondary course, Ms. Hedervary brought out a platter of small, roasted birds. Ludwig did not recognize the type of poultry, but assumed it was a favorite in her household due to Feliciano's multiple exclamations of "_I capponini! I capponini!_" Everyone got their own individual bird; the meat was moist and very tender, and Ludwig was surprised to realize that he found himself comfortable in the Edelsteins' house, amidst their cooking.

Ludwig dared to squirm about like a curious child and gawk at the admirably frivolous features of Mr. Edelstein's house, the term for which seemed to him beneath the establishment itself. The creamy white walls were hung with replicas of famous Italian paintings, and every now and then one encountered a statue or sculpture when entering a room or rounding into a corridor. On his way in before dinner, Ludwig had noticed that a room hidden behind the foyer housed a sleek black piano, which was bathed in evening light coming from windows that were the height of the room itself.

Although he had not at all seen enough of the mansion to give a precise estimate, Ludwig guessed that Mr. Edelstein's home was at least one and a half times as big as his father's summer home. During dinner, Mr. Edelstein talked about the history of his life and family.

"_Ja_, it seems only a short while ago that I was a Viennese exchange student in Roma. I hoped to aspire in music, but studied Italian history and culture as something to fall back on," The man tipped his head back in reminiscence. "I was fascinated with Italy's people because of their rich history; I wanted so desperately to learn from them."

He smiled at his two adopted sons. "Although I was revered for my pianistic skills and precision, my professors found in me a promising investor in Italian funds and resources. So here I am, a crucial blood vessel in the economic body of Europe's current war!" _A little pompous_, Ludwig could not stifle the thought as he listened on.

"I settled in Venezia for a number of years, until I heard of the Germans' recollection of power. Amusingly, it was during the same year that I was introduced to two young boys in need of a home. Lovino and Feliciano's guardians were unable to support them in addition to their own at that time, so I decided it beneficial for them to move back to the _Ostereich_ with me and receive an upscale education."

"And now here we are, sitting in your second mansion a few miles north of the Alps," Mr. Beilschmidt chimed in amusedly. "We two have a bit of history before Youth camp," he remarked to the German boys. "Mr. Edelstein and I knew each other briefly while we attended our last years of university in neutral Switzerland."

Ms. Hedevary had apparently known Mr. Edelstein long enough to tell when another autobiography was about to be written by mouth. "Lovino, Feliciano, why don't you clear your plates and head out into the courtyard for a game of football?" She smiled lovingly at the young, dozy Italian.

"_Sì, Signora Hedervary!_" Feliciano jumped up from his seat as his side curl bounced happily. "Ludwig, Gilbert, _Fratellone, avanti!_" The boy ran from the table, not waiting for his fellow Youths.

Even before playing a sport, he looks dozy, thought Ludwig as he followed slowly with the others, Mr. Edelstein's recollections of his old professors' comments about his genius growing fainter and fainter.

* * *

**...And Elizaveta shuts Roderich up for the chapter!**

**Football (and by football I mean soccer!), more talking, and more stuff takes place next chapter. Hopefully it won't take long again...xD**

**Also, by no means do I intend to sound pushy or desperate, but I would REALLY appreciate some feedback on my writing style, guys. Is it good? Is it going too slow? Do I leave too much stuff out? Do I tend to be repetitive? (Not just for this chapter, be honest about whatever you've read and didn't like!)**

**No pressure, I'd just really like some constructive criticism if you guys think I can improve. Thanks. :)**

**And just so you guys know, Chapter 4 is in the process of being written as you read this! Updating again real soon!**


	4. Sports and Surprises

**Hey, guys. I guess my writing style for this story is just very slow-paced. Oh, well. xD**

**I meant for this chapter to be more fluffy with Luddy and Feli, but didn't want to have too much stuff happening in one chapter.**

**Anyhow, enjoy!**

* * *

Lovino trailed slowly behind the Beilschmidt brothers; behind him, Ludwig could hear the Italian scoffing. "That woman..._playing!_ Especially with these scrubs!"

"Don't worry, little _bruder,_" Gilbert assured the younger German child, smirking. That prick is constantly muttering about us, but he never dares to lay a hand on my awesome circle of friends!"

"But _bruder_, the boy beats you nearly all the time!" Ludwig could only recall the condition of Gilbert's milky skin the first few weeks of camp. The pale blueberry bruises even now were still visible.

Besides, as far as Ludwig knew, he and Lovino were the only people Gilbert could even consider his friends. _Better not to burst his bubble, I guess...It would probably kill him by now_, he thought.

"Well, he hasn't attacked you since you killed your boyfriend's flag. You are my first priority, little _bruder_! You are to carry on my awesome blood if I ever die in an awesomely fierce battle to win Ms. Hedervary's heart from Mr. Edelstein!"

"_Bruder_...," Ludwig blushed, and began as Feliciano called from the football field-which the boy noticed was drawn out with white paint in a very professional manner. _Mr. Edelstein certainly knows whom to hire..._

Feliciano's faraway plea broke Ludwig's thought. "_Avanti! Avanti, amici! Voglio giocare la caccia!_"

"_In un minuto, fratellino!_" Ludwig heard Lovino shout back bitingly. "_Lasciami caminare!_"

Feliciano proceeded to jump about frantically, unable to contain his excitement. "_Tutto bene, mio fottuto __**Dio**_**!**" Lovino shouted again. "_Aspetta un minutino, stupidissimo!_"

Lovino struggled to run to his brother and waited for the other children to venture onto the field at their own pace. Feliciano was kicking around a new, shiny soccer ball in a circle. He looked up at the young blonde when the Beilschmidt brothers arrived, yet again with that dozy look.

"_Finalmente, _Ludwig!_ Sei qui!_" The boy threw his arms around his friend in a hug, just like he had at Mr. Edelstein's front door. Ludwig thought it obligatory to return the hug this time, wrapping his hands around the boy's scrawny waist. Much to his brother's dismay, Feliciano giggled. "_Hihihi! Amicissimo, che solletica!_"

Lovino glared at the guests as Feliciano freed himself. "_Allora_, enough tickling! _Fratellone_, why don't we play with our Deutscher Youth partners?"

The older boy scowled. "Hmph! Of course you would make me touch heels with those filthy Germans!" Ludwig would have smacked him if Feliciano hadn't continued on.

"But Lovino, it'd be good training! And Mr. Edelstein is always telling you to play outside more!" Feliciano whined, hugging his brother's arm.

Lovino cringed at the mention of their guardian. "_Fine_," he finally huffed, tearing his arm away.

"Okay!" Feliciano cheered. "_Fratellone_, you play with Gilbert, and I'll play with my _amicissimo_, Ludwig! The first team to get their ball into the other's net scores a point; best two out of three wins!"

Ludwig studied the Italian. _Perhaps he was good at training when it were in the form of leisurely sports._ "Ahh!" The boy was jerked out of his thoughts as Feliciano took him by the hand and pulled him over to the blue net.

Lovino, being the oldest child of the household, was the one to start the game. "_Tre...due..uno...Giocate!_" The ball was dropped.

The older Italian took his advantage and kicked the ball toward the blue net. Ludwig met the boy face-to-face and kicked the ball into his pace in a flash, only to have Gilbert intercept him from the right halfway to the red net.

"_Hahaha!_ Red is such an awesome color! It reminds me of my awesome German blood! The red team always wins, little _bruder!_"

Just as Ludwig was about to cuss in disappointment, Feliciano soared past him. Much to Gilbert's dismay, the dozy boy intercepted him from the side and skirted him, heading back with the ball in the direction of the red net.

"Go, Feli!" Ludwig cheered his partner on, partially out of wonder. _Why have I _never_ seen him run like this at Youth camp?!_

Feliciano outran Gilbert and Lovino, scoring the first goal and winning the first game for the Blue Team. There was only one flaw with the boy's gameplay, Ludwig observed: Instead of kicking it, Feliciano kicked the ball straight into the goal, and ran back out after it touched the netting. _Was that allowed?_ he thought. _Isn't that considered a penalty?_

As the boy cheered and his older brother congratulated him in a rare bout of affection, Ludwig half-smiled to himself again. _Well, it doesn't seem to matter much to them._

So Feliciano could probably run faster than most children, but couldn't kick, punch, or fight. That, Ludwig decided, was perfectly fine. _I'll teach him to channel the strength in his legs to the rest of his muscles!_ Ludwig declared to himself as the game went on.

* * *

Gilbert and Lovino managed to seize the ball from Feliciano in the second game; an opponent stood on either side of the field, and the boy was caught off guard. The pale Beilschmidt boy cheered at his "awesomeness at tactics" while the older Italian boy stared at the ball indifferently after they'd won the second game.

Ludwig had deliberately refrained from touching the ball during the second game, mostly because he wanted to observe Feliciano but also because he didn't want to interfere with his brother's crude tactics, dumb as he was.

The two younger boys successfully broke the tie for themselves on the third game. Ludwig decided to join in at this point, and made an effort to cut his brother off guard. Gilbert stood guarding the blue net, because he was "that awesome as to stand in the opponent's territory," and Ludwig deliberately stumbled in front of him when he stole the ball from Feliciano. The Italian had run off to the side of the red net to intercept his older brother and prevent Gilbert from getting to Ludwig, allowing the blonde to score the winning goal.

The two younger boys cheered together, Ludwig gawking involuntarily at Feliciano's seemingly autonomous side curl as they jumped up and down, again in each other's arms.

Although quite dismayed from having lost to their younger siblings, the other team either glared in harsh indifference or jumped for joy at his younger brother's "inherited awesome skills."

"So," Lovino murmured when everyone was gathered at the Edelsteins' picnic table, "what do the Potato King and his first lady win?"

"Hmm," Feliciano thought, gazing up at the sky with his finger to his chin. The dozy look remained even after playing three exhausting games of football.

"I know! How about Ludwig and I share the biggest piece of Mr. Edelstein's cake?"

"Oh, yes, the aristocrat is making a new one tonight, isn't he?" Lovino remarked as Feliciano jumped from his set and charged toward the sliding doors.

"Well, I suppose I should follow the little brat in," Lovino sighed, standing up with ease. "You _barbarians_ feel free to take your time," he sneered at the Beilschmidt brothers.

Ludwig turned to his brother after Lovino disappeared into the mansion. "I can't wait to smack that kid on the head," he remarked. "What on earth makes him think he can talk to us like that?"

"_Ja_, but at least you don't have to train with him, little _bruder_!" Gilbert rubbed the new black eye he had gotten during their first game.

Ludwig leaned forward on the picnic table in frustration. "_Bruder_, why hasn't anyone confronted him yet? Surely the monitors at Deutscher Youth would have had him cleaning the latrines by now, and I've honestly been expecting much more from you," Ludwig vented, "Especially considering how many bruises you've received thus far!"

"Well, little _bruder_, it's obviously because he's Mr. Edelstein's son! It's the same reason your little Feliciano hasn't been kicked out of the camp yet!" Gilbert leaned back, putting his feet up. "Besides, I think if that brat were forced to clean the camp's toilets, he would be shooting laser beams from his eyes at anyone who even glanced at him.

"Plus," Gilbert went on, "I already told you I would pull that _putz_ off by his curl the next time he tackled you, so you don't have to worry!"

Winking, the teen lowered his eyes, abnormally red pupils showing. "As for me, I'm far too awesome to be wasting my strength on little brats like him! I let him beat me just so he has his fun, little _bruder_!"

Ludwig turned his head, staring past the soccer field. "Gilbert," he began. The blonde child almost never called his older brother by his name. "Once Youth camp is finished, and the war starts to intensify, what will happen? Will we still move back to the northeast and continue on with public school? Will _Vater_ push us into a more serious training school?"

Gilbert looked at his brother worriedly as the younger child made eye contact. "Well, little _bruder_, _Vater_ has already talked to me about this. He told me not to tell you, but I think you should know that he has already planned to stay down here and enroll us in a school for rich kids after Youth camp ends. He said it won't be a military school, but it'll definitely focus on things pertaining to the war, like awesome German leaders and such!"

"I'm only worried about military school for your sake, _bruder_. I'm all for becoming a soldier!" Ludwig remarked.

"_Ja, ja_," Gilbrt dismissed the comment. "Oh, and as for your little puppy, _Vater_ has already arranged for him to be driven down here, and we'll be getting a new home nearer to Mr. Edelstein's come autumn." Ludwig had had to leave his dog, Aster, in their old house with a temporary caregiver.

"As for tonight," Gilbert smirked, "You'll be staying with your little girlfriend!" Stifling a laugh, he added, "Just don't become a two-timer and have an affair with the handsome Ms. Hedervary!"

Ludwig was confused. "_Bruder_, surely _Vater_ wouldn't arrange something like this!"

"Oh, just think about it, little _bruder_! Why do you think _Vater_ has pulled you out of Youth camp for the whole weekend?" Gilbert was hysterical with laughter, and struggled to keep up with the younger child as he stomped off to confront their father.

Back in the house, Mr. Beilschmidt and Mr. Edelstein were still reminiscing about their days at university when Ludwig uncharacteristically came running into the dining room.

"_Vater_, Gilbert has been saying that you intend for me to stay the night with the Edelsteins! Is this true?"

The two men glanced at each other before giving a response. "Well,_ sohn_, I should have known better than to trust Gilbert not to share what I consider to be private."

"However," Mr. Beilschmidt continued in his stern, laid back tone. "It is true that Mr. Edelstein and I have agreed for you to spend the night here with Feliciano. We believe it will allow you boys to become more cooperative.

"I thought this was clear when I told you that you were to be exempted from training for the weekend, _sohn_," Ludwig lowered his head as his father continued on after leading them out to their vehicle.

Retrieving a small suitcase from the trunk, Mr. Beilschmidt knelt down to his child. "We will have cake with the Edelsteins, and then Gilbert and I will depart. You are to take tonight and tomorrow to forge a lasting friendship with your Youth partner, even if his strengths and skills do not match yours. Do I make myself clear, _sohn_?" Mr. Beilschmidt was stern, yet still gentle.

"Yes,_ Vater_," Ludwig agreed. He thought it better not to mention what he also knew from Gilbert.

* * *

**Sorry for all the foreign text in the first part, guys. I thought it would be good to incorporate Feli and Lovi speaking some more Italian; plus, I just had fun writing it out. xD**

**Italian is my second language, so please feel free to point out any imperfections, guys! I'll make corrections immediately. :)**

**Here are the translations:**

_"Avanti! Avanti, amici! Voglio giocare la caccia!"_ = "Come on! Come on, friends! I want to play football!"

_"In un minuto, fratellino!"_ = "In a minute, little brother!"

_"Lasciami caminare!"_ = "Let me walk!"

_"Tutto bene, mio fottuto **Dio!**"_ = "Alright, my fucking **God!**" **(Sorry if that offends anyone; Lovi said it, not me!)**

_"Aspetta un minutino, stupidissimo!"_ = "Wait a minute, stupid!" **(Or in this case, "the stupidest")**

_"Finalmente; sei qui!"_ = "Finally; you're here!"

_"Hihihi! Amicissimo, che solletica!"_ = "Hahaha! Buddy, that tickles!" **("Amicissimo" literally translates to "best friend;" sorry for not pointing that out in the previous chapter. Also, the "h" sound is silent in Italian, just to clarify. xD)**

_"Allora"_ = Okay/Alright then

_"Fratellone"_ = "Big brother" **(I know this translation was pretty obvious in the first chapter, but I thought I should point it out here anyway.)**

_"Tre...due...uno...Giocate!"_ = "Three...two...one...play!"

**And the German words should be obvious. xD**

**Luddy and Feli get closer next chapter, I promise! I really want this story to have more fluffy moments.**

**Sorry to keep complaining about my own work, but I just feel like this story is going too slow, yet too fast at the same time. But everyone's loving it, so I guess I'm doing okay! xD**

**Please keep reviewing, guys! I'm all for constructive criticism! :)**


	5. A Night with Feliciano

**Hello, all. I'd say this chapter is a success, albeit still a bit slow.**

**A few feels begin to lurk about. Enjoy!**

* * *

Back inside the mansion, Feliciano stepped down from the Edelsteins' staircase to the right of the foyer. Hand-in-hand with Ms. Hedervary, he was dressed in a dark blue miniature smoking robe and matching slippers, and his hair appeared to be slightly damp.

"Ludwig! I had to wash up after playing football! How do you like my smoking robe?" Feliciano twirled around as Ms. Hedervary giggled.

"I made it specially for him, Mr. Beilschmidt. All young soldiers should have decent clothes to wear in their downtime!"

"Let's go have cake, fellow Youth partner!" Feliciano saluted to Ludwig before running off to the dining room.

Mr. Beilschmidt patted his son on the back before following after Feliciano and Ms. Hedervary. "Why don't you go change into some new clothes as well, _sohn_?"

The lavatory is the second room on the right!" Ms. Hedervary called.

Among the items in Ludwig's suitcase were his light blue striped pajamas, a white lounging shirt along with a pair of black sweatpants, and a newly bought hunter green smoking robe with open-backed slippers, just like Feliciano's.

"At least I can blend in," Ludwig commented, putting on the robe after changing into his lounging attire. "_Bruder_ will definitely have some insult to make about our matching robes. At least the colors are different!"

Also at the bottom of his suitcase was his light gray suit and a darker tie. "This must be for Sunday church; Mr. Edelstein is very formal outside the house." Ludwig knew this from Youth camp in addition to assuming that the family was Catholic from the crucifix he had noticed on their dining room wall.

Deciding to continue wearing his iron cross pendant for good luck, he tucked it safely under his smoking robe before making a quick scan of the immaculately clean, yet surprisingly small bathroom. _This must be reserved for guests_, Ludwig thought.

* * *

As Ludwig returned to the dining room, his family and the Edelsteins were chatting amongst themselves; Lovino was nowhere to be seen, supposedly off avoiding further contact with their guests.

Mr. Beilschmidt turned to Ludwig as he approached the table, beckoning with his eyes towards a seat next to Feliciano.

"It's about time, _amicissimo_!" Feliciano exclaimed as Ludwig took his seat, eyeing the silver chain poking out from the child's new robe. "Oh, and you're still wearing your necklace!"

"It's not a necklace!" Ludwig exclaimed, revealing his charm in defense. "It's a pendant my _bruder_ gave to me before we came to visit. The iron cross is a symbol for the prosperity of our cause!"

Feliciano examined the pendant in his hands with his signature dozy look. "Oh, so this is kind of like my white flag?" he remarked. "I wish I could still use it, so we could show everyone our good luck charms together!" The boy's curl bounced as he smiled.

"How exactly does surrendering bring about good luck?" Ludwig breathed in exasperation, his anxiety now beginning to return.

"Because, then no one has to fight anymore and everyone's happy!" Feliciano exclaimed, still smiling.

At that moment, Lovino trudged into the dining room. "Let's get this party over with so I can retreat into my study!" The boy was wearing a crimson smoking robe. As he took his seat next to Ms. Hedervary across from Feliciano, Ludwig noticed that a small Italian flag was sewn onto the left side of its front.

"How do you like the coat I made for you, Lovi?" Ms. Hedervary asked the teen, smiling sweetly.

"Its color and symbol is very fitting for my taste." Lovino curtly replied. "Thank you," he murmured, blushing.

"Now that you're here, _fratellone_, we can have cake!" Feliciano turned to his brother.

"So long as this isn't the night that stingy half-breed finally poisons me!" the teen retorted, as Mr. Edelstein emerged from the dining room with a large platter.

"Now, Lovino," Ms. Hedervary scolded gently. "Would you like a small piece of cake tonight?"

Arms folded, the teen shifted his eyes to the dark chocolate cake decorated with cherries and orange slices. "Slightly bigger than usual, please," he pouted.

"Ms. Hedervary, Ludwig and I won the football tournament, so we're going to share the biggest piece!" Feliciano was oblivious to his brother's mood.

"Well, I'm sure you two both deserve a helping fit for winners, right, Mr. Edelstein?" Ms. Hedervary winked at her partner as he maintained his stoic expression, cutting a piece the size of three slices.

"Yay!" Feliciano cheered after everyone thanked Mr. Edelstein for dessert.

They all ate their dessert in silence. Only when Gilbert remarked to Ms. Hedervary how adorable it was for her and his father to sew matching robes for the Young Lovers did the sounds of life return to the dining room.

"I'm sure by little _bruder_ will be on his best behavior tonight, my fair lady, but I can't say so much for bedtime!"

"All right, Gilbert, it seems that you have finished your dessert, so it's time for us to go," Mr. Beilschmidt interrupted. "Please thank the Edelsteins for a good time."

Bowing, Gilbert warned Mr. Edelstein that Ludwig would be having much more of a good time tonight, before kissing Ms. Hedervary's hand. "You are of a handsome stature fit only the for strongest of the German people."

Mr. Beilschmidt was quick to apologize for his son's remarks, and had to almost drag Gilbert away from the couple after bidding his younger son a goodbye for the night. "I thank _mein Gott _that you have more wits about you, _sohn_."

When the two older Beilschmidts had departed and the house was once again silent, Ludwig apologized on behalf of his older brother.

"Don't worry about it," Mr. Edelstein assured uncharacteristically. "I imagine that _dunkoff _has taken one too many beatings from my son."

Lovino had disappeared into his study, which his guardian had pointed out was in fact the family's library, immediately after speedily finishing his dessert.

"Mr. Edelstein and I will be convening in the piano room in a while," Ms. Hedervary said pleasantly, smiling sympathetically at Ludwig for his brother's antics. "Why don't you boys go relax in Feliciano's room until then?"

"Come on, _amico_!" Feliciano took his guest's hand and led him up the long flight of stairs.

* * *

Feliciano's room was neat and glowing from the setting sun, though Ludwig noticed that it did not have windows that touched the ceiling. The room appeared to be large and spacious nonetheless; it was perhaps at least a third bigger than Ludwig's own bedroom.

The boy's room had a green theme; light green curtains, green bedspread, and custom green carpeting gave the room a green glow in the evening sunlight and accented the white walls in many different shades. The room was lined with bookshelves holding the standard dictionary and Holy Bible, along with several historical works pertaining to almost every era of human history. Above and around the shelves were smaller framings of the same Italian works of art Ludwig had seen in the corridors, side-by-side with framings of paintings and illustrations signed by Feliciano himself. The top of the boy's dresser housed a green shaded lamp and multiple knick-knacks and small photos clustered beside it.

Feliciano's bed was in the center of room, and was bordered only by a small table that held a small alarm clock and a worn-out sketchbook. "Do you like my room, Ludwig?" The boy dozed. "I like to sleep in the middle of all my books and drawings so I can remember everything about them!"

"I suppose it's not a bad technique for exercising memory," Ludwig grumbled absentmindedly, eyeing the black bound sketchbook that had multiple patterns and names in different fonts scribbled on the cover. At the very top in large, elegant cursive was "_Feliciano Vargasso di Venezia_."

"Would you like to see my sketches, Ludwig?" Feliciano beamed, retrieving the book and plopping down next to his guest. "These are just practice, so after this I'll guide you around my room and show you my best work!"

Ludwig was shown multiple sketches: Of flowers, of animals and birds Feliciano had seen, of past dinners and desserts the boy remarked were "too beautiful not to draw." There were also sketches of faces, some of which Ludwig did and did not recognize: Caricatures of Mr. Edelstein, pictures of Ms. Hedervary in multiple sitting positions, self-portraits of Feliciano, and a few faces whom the boy mentioned were his former guardians; one of them was of a vibrant-looking man who had several curls in his hair that resembled Feliciano's, another of a young boy who looked about Gilbert's age, titled "_Mio cugino, Antonio_." There was even one sketch of himself, Ludwig noticed, although he was depicted to be smiling in a fashion he privately deemed too cutesy for a soldier.

"Lovino and I lived with Antonio and his family before Mr. Edelstein adopted us," Feliciano mentioned before flipping the page. "Don't tell him I told you, _amico_, but Lovino loves Antonio! Since he always had to look after me, Lovi looked up to him as an adoptive big brother. We lived with Antonio for a few years after Grandpa," he added solemnly. Recalling the previous sketch Feliciano has shown him, Ludwig decided it better not to ask what had become of the man.

At that, Feliciano showed Ludwig his own paintings that adorned the walls: The Edelsteins' mansion, Ms. Hedervary curled up with Lovino in their library, a painting of Feliciano's bedroom, which the young artist mentioned made him giggle every time he laid his eyes on it, and what appeared to be oddly shaped canoes weaving in and out of multiple floating buildings, titled "_Un giorno in Venezia_."

"I painted that before I went to live with Mr. Edelstein," Feliciano mentioned. "It was the busiest summer in the city!"

"Are...the buildings really floating on the water?" Ludwig marveled.

This remark made the boy laugh uncontrollably. "Oh, no, _amico_! The buildings are held up by poles under the water!"

The blonde child was led away from the bewildering image to Feliciano's dresser, where a small drawer was opened to reveal the white flag that had been broken not a month ago, now held together with a small piece of transparent tape. Ludwig had wondered what had happened to it.

"I know you got mad at me last time you saw my flag, so I think you should have it, Ludwig!" Feliciano handed the parcel to his Youth partner, who reluctantly accepted it.

"I-It's not so much that I got mad at _you_," the blonde stammered anxiously, blushing in confusion. "I just happen to think that waving a white flag is unbecoming of a future soldier."

"Well," Feliciano began, staring dozily at the floor, "I don't want to be a soldier, Ludwig. I want to be an artist! An artist and a peacemaker is what I aspire, so I try to get people to stop training and fighting by waving my flag around!" Ludwig was dumbfounded.

"Mr. Edelstein made me and Lovino go into Youth camp because we're his children, but Ms. Hedervary knows my dream, so she doesn't push me to become stronger. I'm just glad I have you, Ludwig, because when I get hurt during training you can carry me away until the summer is over!"

Ludwig had no idea what to give as a response. Feliciano had a completely different mindset from his own: Where the dozy boy hoped to bring peace to the entire European community, Ludwig considered it his destiny to serve his state as one of its most loyal soldiers. "Well, I'll keep your flag safe until then," he decided.

Shortly after that, Ms. Hedervary had called the boys down to the back parlor. Mr. Edelstein sat at his piano, dressed in a purple smoking robe and what appeared to be tattered pajamas underneath.

"I'm very frugal around the house, but I assumed one of my more faithful Youth underlings wouldn't mind," the man remarked.

After Ms. Hedervary drew the curtains over the tall windows, the group listened to Mr. Edelstein's recreation of works composed well over a century ago. Although Feliciano and his guardian were laid out comfortably together on the sofa, Ludwig felt obligated to sit as straight and still as he could; he was being entertained by authority as well as musical genius.

As he glanced every now and then at the family, Ludwig found that Lovino had not returned from the library, refusing the call of aristocratic German melodies.

* * *

Later that night, Ludwig rested on Feliciano's green carpet, grateful that his father had packed his pillow and blanket in his suitcase. The thought of sharing a bed with another boy terrified him.

"Hey, Ludwig?" Feliciano whispered from above the blonde child's head. _Of course he has to float right above me_, Ludwig thought, giving a sleepy "_Ja?_"

"Why are you always so serious, like Mr. Edelstein?"

Ludwig's facial muscles tensed. "Because Mr. Edelstein and I want to be loyal soldiers in the war."

"So, you're both in training all the time, then?"

"_Ja ja_, in language, in manners, in culture," Ludwig answered back, not wanting to admit he had never realized the nature of his behavior until then.

"Wow...," Feliciano mused, putting into Ludwig's mind yet again the image of his dozy face. "Ludwig?"

"_What_, Feliciano?" _My torture is unending_, the boy thought.

"You'll take good care of my flag, right? And, may I please have it back when Youth camp is over?" Feliciano asked. "Even though your training is never over, I mean?"

Ludwig opened his eyes. He wasn't going to waste the time to throw it into a river, anyway. "Sure,_ ja_."

"_Veh_, good! _Grazie, amico!_" Ludwig turned in time to see the boy smile. "Would you like to come up here and sleep with me?"

_Shit._ Ludwig cursed under his breath. This was the one thing he feared, to be forced into a bed with a person of the same gender. It was unbecoming of a soldier, unbecoming of all boys regardless of their status, and Ludwig couldn't bear to think of what might happen due to innocent curiosity. To _touch_...

Still, Feliciano was more innocent than to even be curious. His only concern in this situation was that his friend be warm and comfortable. This was his logic, along with the fact that a dirty carpet was notorious for being less than hospitable.

Staring at the young, dozy face, Ludwig did not want to upset his Youth partner. He _was_ the boy's "_amicissimo_," after all. "_Ja_, why not?" The blonde child crawled onto the mattress with his own pillow and blanket, and curled up at the other end of the bed, although inevitably brushing Feliciano's stomach with his feet.

Giggling, the dozy boy turned his back to Ludwig. "_Buona notte, amico!_"

* * *

**These people like smoking robes. X)**

**If the attire isn't accurate for the time period, I'm sorry. In my defense, the story is an AU, after all. xD**

**Never again will I take up three chapters for a single day for this kind of storytelling! At least I'm learning. XD**

**Next chapter will be more sped up, guys.**

**Please continue to review! :)**


	6. Revisions and Sacrifices

**Hey, guys. You're all going to be very disappointed, but I have some bad news for this story.**

**I really appreciate all those who have favorited and reviewed this story, and I have been very grateful for the support. Don't think that your taking the time to read my work doesn't matter to me, but I'm genuinely not happy with this story.**

**Thus, I've decided to put it on hiatus and do some serious revisions. I am not abandoning this story, however. This was my first idea for a Hetalia fanfic. I love the plot I've come up with and I am most definitely going to come back to it in the near future.**

**But I'm just not satisfied at all with what I've written, guys. My mistake was uploading the first chapter as soon as I was done writing it. I honestly don't know how many others on here are like this, but I'm the kind of writer who needs to have at least a few chapters completed and several notes written down on future chapters before feeling comfortable about publishing it on a website. I may or may not keep the first chapter the way it is, but I feel that all the other chapters need to be seriously revised. I feel like I'm going way too slow, and I can't get over it.**

**I really don't want to have to do this, but I want my work on here to be as good as possible, and this story is not living up to my expectations at all. I sincerely apologize a million times over to those who have followed this story and waited patiently for it to be updated. You guys have every right to be angry at me; I, personally, would be fucking pissed if I saw a post like this for one of my favorite fanfics!**

**I was going to just post this note as a separate chapter, but I didn't want to break any FF rules, so I've decided to upload what I have for Chapter 6. It doesn't have an official title and I never got to finishing it because college started, but it's pretty much the usual F&W jargon, going slow as ever and some parts and speeding up rapidly at others. Feel free to read it if you want, but I really am going to revise the hell out of this story.**

**Again, I'm really sorry, guys. I promise the story will be a hundred times better when I start uploading again. You will not be disappointed!**

*****Also, I've been giving some thought to changing the title. If anyone would like to PM me and give me some ideas, I could give you a basic summary of the plot so you can help me out. (That doesn't mean I'll give away the whole story, though. No spoilers!)*****

**I'll most likely be posting a few other stories on here, so keep watch if you like me, guys. Haha!**

**Anyway, without further ado, I present to you an unfinished Chapter 6.**

* * *

In terms of anxiety, the following Sunday went surprisingly well for Ludwig. Whether it was because of his brother's iron cross pendant or his breathing techniques from the previous evening, the blonde child was strangely able to tolerate his partner's flamboyance.

The boys were luckily awoken in the morning by a laughing Ms. Hedervary, who promised to keep their "little snuggle-fest" a secret. Much to his humiliation, Ludwig had unconsciously retreated to the top of the bed overnight and had been embraced by a sleeping Feliciano.

The Edelstein family had escorted their guest to the local Roman Catholic church; Ludwig confessed that he did not know what to expect, so Feliciano insisted that they hold hands all through the Latin prayers, sermon, and the embrace of peace.

On their way out, Ludwig overheard Mr. Edelstein convening with the priest. "Ja, unfortunately this will be our last attendance to mass before the occupation. I know it goes against our faith, but I play a crucial part in the war and cannot have my name slandered."

"Hey, Feliciano," Ludwig hesitated on the way to the vehicle hand-in-hand, "What does Mr. Edelstein mean? Surely you'd know more about the upcoming war's influence."

"Oh, I guess our side of the war doesn't like Catholics because the Church is too powerful, so our family can't go to mass if Mr. Edelstein doesn't want to upset the leader"

"I see, so it's about reputation," Ludwig replied.

"Yeah, Ms. Hedervary says it's okay because you can love God together anywhere, but I really don't like how we can't go to church just because of what Mr. Edelstein's boss thinks." Feliciano added sadly.

"It's fine with me if it means I no longer have to attend church with these Roman wannabes!" Lovino piped up from behind.

Ignoring the teen, Ludwig mused to his partner. "Well, Feliciano, I think if your side doesn't like something, you have to make sacrifices."

The boy's curl bounced as he smiled back. "I guess so, but that's still okay because that's what our religion's about! Sacrifices, Ludwig!"

[INSERT HORIZONTAL LINE]

The boys' families convened for another dinner Sunday evening, during which Mr. Edelstein formally reinstated Ludwig and Feliciano as Deutscher Youth partners.

The boys resumed their regular training with Mr. Hinova's group throughout the month of August. Although the other children continued to taunt Ludwig, their fun was not met with a simple glare._ I'm not going to let them emasculate me anymore just because of Feliciano's personality_, he assured himself.

Recalling in his mind their previous football tournament, Ludwig made a point to train Feliciano to do more than just run.

"If we're going to be Youth partners again, you've got to learn to channel the strength in your legs to the rest of your body!"

"But Ludwig, I told you that I don't like to fight! Cant I just run from anyone who wants to fight me?" Feliciano commonly whined nowadays.

"_Nein!_ As a Deutscher Youth scout, it is your duty to become stronger!" Ludwig would retort.

Mr. Hinova would often find the two boys away from the group. Ludwig would be running after Feliciano on the track or the obstacle course, or even in in between the trees in the nearby woods.

"You must run as fast as you can! Make sure your arms are moving with your legs!"

"I want to see you round the course on your own in under two minutes!"

"You must be alert when running! Remember the location of every tree! If you must, run before punching! I want to see a hole in the bark as big as your fist!"

But Ludwig would more often than not return to Mr. Hinova after training with Feliciano on his shoulders, either passed out from running or hurt from tripping over a twig or a tire. One time, Feliciano's nose was bleeding from trying (unsuccessfully) to climb up a tree after running at it, or in this case, into it.

"Oh, no, what were you boys doing out there?" Mr. Hinova asked in a panic. "I knew I shouldn't have left supervision up to a ten-year-old! What was I thinking? How did I ever get to thinking I could let my students go off alone? Private training is never a good thing, boys!"

"It's okay, Mr. Hinova! Ludwig was only trying to help. I guess I just can't climb," Feliciano giggled weakly, stifling more tears.

"No, Feliciano, our monitor is right," Ludwig sighed. "I shouldn't have trained you beyond your ability. It goes against our duty as Youth scouts."

"But Ludwig, you were still helping me! People get hurt on occasion for others, but that's alright as long as they're trying to help, right?"

Ludwig had sighed again in the infirmary that day. "Look, Feli, you said yourself that you don't want to become a soldier. While I'm still your Youth partner, it goes against my duty to push you too hard. We're both in this camp for the same reasons, but I can't make you act or think differently because of that."

[INSERT HORIZONTAL LINE]

The boys completed Deustcher Youth camp with the rest of Mr. Hinova's pupils, and spent the rest of their summer vacation with each others' families.

Ludwig finally heard from his father that they would be staying in southern Germany throughout the war. He spent the majority of his time before the new school year with his older brother and puppy, Aster, who had fortunately fared well with their former neighbor for two months.

Aster was an amber-eyed golden retriever, and was extremely reserved for a puppy of his age. He would almost always take no notice when Ludwig or Gilbert approached him with a ball or a walking leash. He was also incredibly thick-furred and was shedding constantly, so much so that Gilbert often joked that he must actually be half-feline.

Whenever Ludwig sat down on their sofa or in his bed to read, Aster would curl up beside him and stare at the book's pages in bewilderment, as if trying to figure out why the child was so fixated on them. He would become sleepy after several minutes, and Ludwig always had to beat the golden hairs out of his smoking robe after his nap.

* * *

**Sorry, guys, but that's it for now. Feel free to reviews, PM me, or whatever. I'll say again, this story will not be abandoned.**

_**Auf wiedersehen~.**_


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